CompTIA Newsroom

Net employment increased by 61,000-plus jobs in 2018; employer demand for tech talent remains strong

Toronto and Downers Grove, Ill. – More than 61,000 new workers joined Canada’s technology workforce in 2018, according to a new report from CompTIA, the leading trade association for the global tech industry.

CompTIA’s “Cyberprovinces™ 2019” reveals that net tech employment across Canada totaled an estimated 1.66 million workers at the end of 2018, a 3.8 percent increase over the prior year. Since 2010 net tech employment has increased by an estimated 249,000 new jobs.

The report also finds that tech wages averaged $78,070 CAD in 2018, some 51 percent higher than the average private sector wage of $51,794 CAD.

“We continue to see strong expansion of the tech industry across Canada, with year-over-year job gains in eight of 10 provinces, wages rising and the number of technology businesses growing,” said Gordon Pelosse, head of support delivery US Central and Canada country manager for HPE Pointnext and chairman of the CompTIA Board of Directors. “This presents an outstanding opportunity for job seekers looking to join our industry as the demand for tech talent continues to grow.”

The outlook for future employment growth appears positive, according to the report. Even with the addition of 61,000-plus tech workers last year, Canadian employers posted job openings for some 116,000 tech positions in 2018. Employer demand for emerging technology skills in areas such as machine learning, robotics, augmented reality/virtual reality, blockchain, and the Internet of Things increased by 23 percent from 2017 and 2018.

Several critical technology occupations are projected to experience double-digit growth between 2018 and 2026, including database analysts and administrators (24 percent), software engineers (20 percent), systems analysts and consultants (20 percent), and computer user support technicians (18 percent). By comparison, Canada’s overall base of employment is projected to increase by nearly 10 percent during the same period.

“We’ve seen 30-percent growth in CompTIA training and certification in Canada so far this year, a clear market indicator of solid interest in tech as a career,” said Al Nasturzio, CompTIA’s business development manager for Canada. “It’s also a positive development for employers seeking tech professionals, because it signals that these individuals are strongly committed to growing their technology and business skills through certifications, whether they’re looking to advance in their current career or to join the workforce for the first time.”

More from Cyberprovinces 2019

• Ontario led the nation in tech employment growth in 2018 with 36,698 new jobs, followed by British Columbia (10,840) and Quebec (10,774).
• On average tech industry wages are highest in Alberta ($81,967) followed by Ontario ($81,726) and British Columbia ($78,927).
• There are estimated 70,189 tech business establishments – companies with payroll – across Canada. Nearly two-thirds of these firms are located in Ontario and Quebec.

The complete Cyberprovinces 2019 report, with comprehensive national and province level data is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/cyberprovinces-2019. For all the latest news from CompTIA visit https://www.comptia.org/newsroom.

-30-

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
630-678-8468
sostrowski@comptia.org­